Man Attempts to Delay Divorce by Allegedly Injecting 4-Year-Old Son With Heroin

In a desperate bid to delay the finalization of his divorce from his wife of six years, a man from Redmond in Seattle, Wash., allegedly injected himself and his 4-year-old son with heroin which almost killed the boy.

A Komonews.com report says Eric Emil Lehtinen, 37, a reported drug addict and dealer was found unconscious in a locked house last Tuesday with his son in a similar state by his ex-wife in waiting. His divorce was supposed to be finalized that day.

According to court documents cited by the report, the woman found a syringe filled with drugs on the chest of the boy after she removed a blanket that was used to cover him. When firefighters were called to the scene neither her husband nor the child were responsive to life-saving efforts, so they had to be rushed to separate hospitals leaving community members in shock.

"Never, no. In 35 years as a police officer I've never run across anything like this," Redmond Police Lt. Charlie Gorman told Fox 13.

"I just don't understand how messed up you have to be to inject your 4-year-old with heroin. Never heard of anything like this, never even had the thought cross my mind of anything like this happening in the world," the boy's neighbor, Alex Marchand, also told Fox 13.

On his release from the hospital, Lehtinen was jailed on a charge of attempted murder in the first degree and his bail was set at $3 million.

According to Komo News, prosecutors called him a "man who is willing to inject his 4-year-old son with heroin in an attempt to kill the boy and a "dangerous man willing to do anything."

The boy remains in the care of doctors at Seattle Children's Hospital and it is uncertain if he will suffer any damage from the heroin overdose.

Medical personnel at the hospital reported puncture wounds on the boy's neck and buttocks, indicating needle sticks according to the report. They also found evidence of ketamine, morphine, codeine and other drugs along with the heroin in his system.